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☆ Icon of the Seas: Why Americans Are Obsessed With Big Cruise Ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Henry Wismayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Love them or loathe them, giant cruise ships are among the most remarkable success stories of the mass tourism age. Rechristened the Mardi Gras, the first Carnival cruise ship sailed out of Miami that March. Cruise ships like the Icon of the Seas will spend the majority of their trip at sea. Eight years later, cruise ships such as the Diamond Princess became early incubators for COVID-19. Cruise Market Watch forecasts there will be 360 cruise ships in service at the end of this year, comprising less than 1% of the global commercial fleet.

Persons: Ted Arison, Arison, Pieter De Boer, Costa, Diamond, Aaron Saunders, We've, Sue Bryant, Z, sass, Emma Le Teace, YouTuber, David Foster Wallace, Harper's, Sarah Knorr, Bryan Comer, Karla Hart, Hart, Saunders, it's, Henry Wismayer Organizations: Port, Passengers, Mardi Gras, Mardi, Gras, Cruise, Royal Caribbean, Costa Concordia, Cruise Lines International Association, Broadway, CivicScience, Royal, Virgin, Business, Transport & Environment, Getty, International Council, Global Cruise, Global Cruise Activist Network, Cruise Market, Royal Caribbean International, New York Times, National Geographic, Financial Times Locations: Port of Miami, Caribbean, Miami, The Port, Tuscany, Italy, Royal Caribbean, TikTok, Panama, Bahamas, Brussels, Netherlands, Douarnenez, Venice, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Amsterdam, Juneau , Alaska, Skagway , Alaska, CocoCay, London

☆ 'A comeback in the making': UBS expects these under-the-radar European stocks to soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

UBS has named a raft of European small and midcap stocks it says are staging a "comeback in the making" this year. Smaller European stocks returned 0.5% in July and August, outperforming the 1.7% contraction logged by large caps in the same period, the Swiss investment bank noted. On average, stocks on UBS' list of small and mid-cap stocks were up 6.6% year-to-date, beating the MSCI European Smallcap Index by 1.2 percentage points, according to the bank. Stock picks Italian cement and ready-mix company Buzzi is among UBS' top picks, given its year-to-date performance of 53.4%. New on the radar UBS' list has also undergone a refresh to include three new stocks: Galenica , SIG Group and Talgo.

Persons: Knorr, Hugo Boss, Galenica Organizations: UBS, Stock, Bremse, SIG Group, Swiss pharma, SIG Locations: Swiss

Moscow's actions highlight the vulnerability of other consumer products companies that still have operations in Russia, some of which have announced plans to leave. "The second option is to sell the business, but the reality is, we have not found a viable solution that meets our stated objectives." The company, which owns the Knorr soup and Dove soap brands, employs over 3,000 people in Russia. In March 2022 Unilever became the first major European food company to stop imports into and exports out of Russia after the country's invasion of Ukraine. Former CEO Alan Jope said at the time "volumes in our Russian business are down significantly, by double digits".

Persons: Hein Schumacher, Schumacher, Knorr, Alan Jope, Richa Naidu, Jason Neely Organizations: Unilever, Danone, Carlsberg, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Dove owner Unilever says it will permit conscription of its Russia employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Consumer goods giant Unilever has confirmed it will comply with legislation that could see its employees in Russia conscripted into the war in Ukraine. It has around 3,000 employees in Russia, working across four manufacturing sites and one head office. Ecclissato said in the letter that Unilever has faced three options for its Russia operations. One was closing all Russia operations, after which he said Unilever's business and brands in the country would be "appropriated — and then operated — by the Russian state." The third, which Unilever has adopted, was continuing to run the business with constraints that have been in place since March.

Persons: Reginaldo Ecclissato, Jerry's, Knorr, Ecclissato, — Organizations: Trinity Cathedral, Consumer, Unilever, BBC, Sunday, Business Operations, CNBC, Ben Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Russian

[1/2] A sign reading "Low prices for you" is seen on a shopping trolley in a supermarket in Nice, France, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoLONDON/PARIS, June 23 (Reuters) - Danone (DANO.PA) and Kellogg (K.N) are among 75 consumer goods companies that French authorities have asked to cut prices, according to a list seen by Reuters that sources say the government is using for the initiative. The French government is using the list seen by Reuters, produced by a research group, as a reference for the project, according to three sources with knowledge of the matter. Some consumer goods makers have said recently that costs are starting to ease, leading lawmakers and regulators to accuse companies of keeping prices high unnecessarily. Investors have in recent months warned that consumer goods companies should start easing price increases as supply chain costs decline, worried that further hikes could hit market share and margin growth.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Bruno Le Maire, Knorr, Avril, Pernod Ricard, Kellogg, Richa Naidu, Matt Scuffham, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Danone, Kellogg, Finance, Reuters, Unilever, Nestle, ABI, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, PARIS, Ukraine

While food inflation has become a concern for European governments from Britain to Italy recently, France has been among the most aggressive in pushing price cuts. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has imposed mandatory price cuts on some basic food items. But food prices still were up 14% last month after a record spike of almost 16% in March. Food prices surged after food companies and big retailers agreed in March to an average 10% increase in prices, responding to a surge in input prices the previous year and wages after Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the food industry has seen profits surge, largely making up for sharp falls during the pandemic, Le Maire said.

Persons: Bruno Le Maire, Le Maire, BFM, Viktor Orban, Maire, Knorr, Kraft Heinz, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Leigh Thomas, Richa Naidu, Silvia Aloisi, Hugh Lawson, Mark Potter Organizations: Food, Unilever, Finance, Reuters, Ministry of, Nestle, Danone, Pepsico, Thomson Locations: PARIS, France, Britain, Italy, Hungary, Ukraine

☆ Unilever pivots to African suppliers as forex pressure mounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Seun Sanni | Richa Naidu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The war in Ukraine exacerbated supply chain logjams and manufacturing issues that began with the COVID-19 pandemic. Managing foreign exchange costs is largely what is driving a pivot to African suppliers, Unilever said, even though sourcing from the continent can cost more than buying from parts of Asia. “Over 95% of the brands we sell to our (African) consumers are made in African factories,” Reginaldo Ecclissato, Unilever’s chief business operations and supply chain officer, told Reuters. Today more than two-thirds of the ingredients that go into Unilever products sold in African markets come from the continent, the company said. Where is it on the scale of Unilever’s supply chain?” he said.

Persons: Kasali, ” Kasali, “, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Reginaldo, Tedd George, Nestle, ”, Pierre, André, Ecclissato, it’s, bouillon, Iranloye, Busari, Unilever’s Ecclissato Organizations: Reuters, Unilever, REUTERS, ” Unilever, Nestle, Danone, sorbitol Locations: ALAYIDE, Nigeria, Oyo, Africa, Ukraine, Asia, India, China, South Africa, Lagos, Oyo State

INVESTMENT HELPSThe company based in Hove on Britain's south coast was one of 61 firms - most with 25 or fewer employees - to take part in the world's biggest four-day week trial last year. The experience of some companies in the first trial suggests that moving to a four-day week might help, if it prompts firms to spend more on equipment and training. It piloted a four-day week for its 80 New Zealand staff over 18 months, and has since extended it to 500 workers in Australia, a move it hopes will attract new talent. British recruitment agency Reed.co.uk said it had seen a rise in the number of job advertisements offering a four-day week since the start of the year. Allcap, a supplier of industrial components with 36 employees in western England, tried a four-day week after its staff had worked flat out during the pandemic to supply protective equipment and ventilator parts.

☆ Crowds swarm Art Basel Hong Kong as galleries report sales bonanza
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An installation titled "Calligraphic Wig" by Daniel Knorr is displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong, China, March 23, 2023. Art Basel Hong Kong is one of the first big events the city has held since dropping its COVID-19 mask mandate this month. City authorities are welcoming the art fair as they try to reinvigorate the economy and promote Hong Kong as a vibrant cultural hub. Teresa Choi, a visitor from Macau, said Hong Kong was much busier than during COVID times. "Hong Kong has always been the international financial hub for Asia ... Travellers are regaining their confidence about Hong Kong and the economy and want to come."

☆ Nestlé says food prices will rise further this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Food, including ice cream, will see significant price increases in 2023, CEO Alan Jope said on the same call. Unilever said price increases caused sales volumes to decline by 2.1% in 2022. Heineken, meanwhile, said it expected to sell less beer in Europe this year because of “steep” price increases related to energy costs. At the time, Tesco (TSCDF) described the company’s price increases as “unjustifiable.” Once the products were restored, prices were unchanged on Heinz’s most popular lines. Gabby Jones/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesTesco has also “fallen out with other suppliers” over price increases, its chairman John Allen recently told the BBC.

"Because the consumer is now under more pressure, and Walmart is under pressure, that sets up a dynamic where there's probably not a lot of pricing going forward." The clout Walmart holds over suppliers also means that Walmart would likely get the lowest percentage of any price hikes manufacturers implement, according to investors who track the company. In 2018, Walmart pulled Campbell Soup Co's (CPB.N) products during the key winter season over a dispute over prices and shelf space promotion. At the time, Tesco labeled Heinz's price hikes as "unjustifiable." After raising prices four times in 2022, he said, Clorox doesn't "have any additional plans" to hike prices this year.

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Incoming Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher gets seasick, according to his former boss at food group Heinz, but that never stopped him joining executive sailing trips and sticking them out. Heinz Company from 2006 to 2013 and was impressed by his leadership skills and business acumen," Peltz said. "Why hire a food exec if you are planning to sell the food business?" "Selling the food business will always be on the cards, but I doubt that it is top priority in the short term." "He's been given a very tough assignment but I have every confidence that if anyone could get Unilever moving in right direction, it's Hein," Johnson said.

☆ Unilever’s new boss whets appetite for split
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Unilever’s new chief executive is arguably a bit low fat. The appointment of board member Hein Schumacher, CEO of Dutch dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina, will instead have investors wondering whether Unilever needs to split its food and non-food arms. Unilever’s current share price is barely 40 euros per share. (By Aimee Donnellan)Follow @Breakingviews on Twitter(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ The US Navy backed the hunt for Titanic in part because the explorer who found it argued it would 'drive the Soviets crazy,' book reveals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The hunt for the Titanic was cover for a secret Navy mission to investigate two submarine wrecks. It was also part of a psychological warfare game the US was playing with the Soviets, Ballard revealed in a 2021 book. But his most recognizable discovery was the British passenger ship Titanic that sank in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912, ending more than 1,500 lives. "I wanted to do a bang-up job for the Navy, but I was also constantly thinking about how to find Titanic," Ballard wrote. "There it was, one of 29 boilers that had created steam for Titanic's engines," Ballard wrote in his book.

☆ French Aerospace Company Safran Settles U.S. Bribery Probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

French aerospace company Safran SA will pay about $17.2 million as part of a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over bribes that subsidiaries allegedly paid in China. Safran is getting credit for coming forward and voluntarily disclosing the alleged bribery, which occurred at two subsidiaries before the company’s acquisition of the units. Parent company Safran is best known for its business as an aircraft parts maker. The $17.2 million Safran will turn over represents bribery-tainted profits stemming from the involvement of the U.S. subsidiary, Monogram. Prosecutors said they would defer to German authorities as to any penalty assessed against Safran in connection with Evac’s involvement.

☆ Unilever raises guidance as price hikes boost sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Andrew KellyLONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Unilever Plc (ULVR.L) on Thursday raised its full-year sales estimates and reported a better-than-expected increase in third-quarter sales as it continued to hike prices to counter soaring costs. The maker of Dove soap and Knorr stock cubes reported underlying sales growth of 10.6%. Analysts had expected growth of 8%, a company-provided consensus showed. Unilever said it now expects underlying sales growth for the full year 2022 to be above 8%. In July, the company said it now expected to beat its previous forecast for full-year underlying sales growth of 4.5% to 6.5%.

☆ Unilever CEO Alan Jope to retire at end of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterUnilever logo is displayed on Dove soap boxes in this illustration taken on January 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationSept 26 (Reuters) - Unilever (ULVR.L) CEO Alan Jope plans to retire at the end of 2023, the maker of Dove soap and Knorr stock cubes said on Monday, roughly two months after activist investor Nelson Peltz joined the board. The British consumer goods maker said its board would start a formal search for his successor, considering both internal and external candidates. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe move was met with disapproval from shareholders, some of whom also criticised Unilever for prioritising sustainability over core growth. ($1 = 0.9410 pounds)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru and Richa Naidu in London; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Directorul unei mari companii nu crede că angajatii vor reveni full-time la birou după pandemie: „Pare un aspect învechit”
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-17 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Directorul unei mari companii nu crede că angajatii vor reveni full-time la birou după pandemie: „Pare un aspect învechit”Şeful gigantului anglo-olandez Unilever, Alan Jope, a declarat că angajaţii companiei nu vor mai lucra niciodată cinci zile pe săptămână în cadrul birourilor, afirmând că pandemia de COVID-19 va transforma radical modul în care muncim. „Nu cred că ne vom întoarce vreodată la modelul de cinci zile de muncă de birou pe săptămână. Pare un aspect deja învechit”, spune Alan Jope. Unilever anunţa, la sfârşitul anului trecut, că toţi angajaţii din Noua Zeelandă vor lucra patru zile pe săptămână pentru o perioadă de 12 luni. Unilever, a treia cea mai valoroasă companie din cadrul Bursei din Londra, fiind producătorului unor branduri precum Dove, Lipton, Persil şi Knorr, are aproximativ 150.000 la nivel global.

Persons: olandez, Alan Jope, îşi, Lipton Organizations: olandez Unilever, Unilever Locations: Europa de Vest, America de Nord, Noua Zeelandă, Londra, Dove

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